Lucas Bravo got brutally honest about certain “objectifying” interactions with Emily in Paris fans.
During the Tuesday, December 9, episode of the “Chicks in the Office” podcast, Bravo, 37, reflected on his experience being recognized in public since playing Gabriel on the hit Netflix series.
“People don’t freak out over me. It’s an idea we have with fame and everything but I think what you project is what you get,” he said. “If you don’t invite people in — with your social media for example — then when I run into people on the street, they are very respectful.”
Bravo noted that most of his run-ins with fans have been pleasant.
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“They connect with my work and they recognize me but they talk to me like you would talk to a person you don’t know,” he explained. “That makes a huge difference because then I am not overexposing myself on socials. There is no freaking out.”
After being asked if he was ever treated as if he is his character, Bravo replied, “No but sometimes there’s that thing that people do that I really [don’t enjoy].”
Bravo clarified that “respect is very important” to him when meeting people.
“You should always treat people with respect no matter what you are going through,” he shared. “Some people don’t do it on purpose but they point at me and say, ‘Emily in Paris’ in the middle of the street. They startle me and I am like, ‘What am I? Who am I? What is my name?'”
He concluded: “I don’t want to be the guy who asks them what my name is but it is a bit objectifying.”
Bravo has captivated audiences since Emily in Paris premiered in 2020. The show follows an American named Emily (Lily Collins) who moves to Paris for a job and ends up in numerous love triangles with Gabriel (Bravo).
The actor’s insight into his experience isn’t the first time he has been candid about the challenges that come with being a part of the show. He previously made headlines for expressing his frustration with Gabriel’s story line.
“In season 1, there was a lot of me in him. But as they made him kind of unaware of his surroundings, of the dynamic, always victimizing and always being completely lost in translation and oblivious to anything that is happening around him and being manipulated by everyone, it kind of became not fun for me to shoot,” he told IndieWire in October 2024. “Or to see a character I love so much and brought me so much, being slowly turned into guacamole. I really grew apart from him.”
Bravo even hinted that he might step away from Emily in Paris.
“It makes me question if I want to be part of season 5 — because my contract ends at season 4. I really want to see if Gabriel gets back to his fun, cheeky, playful, alive self,” he continued. “Because three seasons playing melancholic, sad, depressed and lost is not fun anymore. It’s a comedy, everybody is having fun around me, everybody is jumping around, and I’m just slowly sinking into God knows what.”
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Bravo ultimately signed on to appear in season 5 after Netflix renewed the series. At the time, a source spoke to Us Weekly about what Bravo’s frustration meant for Emily in Paris, saying, “The show is Emily in Paris — not Gabriel in Paris. Everyone is so upset about the remarks he made. There is going to be a lot of tension.”
In the sneak peek for season 5, which was released earlier this month, Emily is adjusting to life in Rome with new beau Marcello (Eugenio Franceschini). She seemed to miss her life back in Paris, which is when Gabriel briefly showed up to discuss his state of mind.
“But now I’m excited for the future,” he told Emily in the clip. “I think you should be too.”
Emily and Gabriel are then seen hugging before he appeared to board a train, but it remains to be seen where he is going. Bravo recently teased his absence in promotional material when asked about the limited Gabriel scenes.
“I would love to tell you something,” he told E! News in October. “I like the fact that I’m not in the trailer and that it creates a conversation, and I’m gonna keep the conversation running. I won’t say anything.”
Bravo joked about his fate on the show, adding, “I don’t know. I’m not in it.”
Emily in Paris returns Thursday, December 18, on Netflix.